Founded in 2002, Autism Nova Scotia (ANS) is a non-profit, registered charity located in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Autism Nova Scotia was the original vision of Joan and Jack Craig, parents of an adult son with autism. Today, ANS supports individuals with autism, their families, educators, healthcare professionals and researchers throughout Nova Scotia.

Autism Nova Scotia provides information materials, research assistance, a variety of program opportunities and a friendly atmosphere to support our members in their desire to understand autism. We offer assistance to individuals with autism so that they can live full and rich lives.

Autism Nova Scotia Vision

A world where all people living with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can live their lives fully.

Autism Nova Scotia Mandate

We are a community-based organization that fosters understanding, acceptance, and collaborative approaches for those living with Autism Spectrum Disorders throughout Nova Scotia.

Autism Nova Scotia Programs & Services

• Robert Craig Autism Resource Centre
• Ben James Autism Summer Camp
• Autism Works Employment Program
• The Promise of a Pearl Program
• Teen & Adult Social Programs
• Autism Arts
• Life-skills Program
• Pre-Vocational training sessions
• Education and Advocacy
• Parent Information and Support
• Newly Diagnosed Information Kits
• Autistic Self Advocacy Council: ASAC-NS
• Autistics Aloud Quarterly Newsletter
• Family Respite Weekend Retreats
• Educational conferences & training

The Provincial Autism Centre was founded in October of 2002, and was the vision of Joan and Jack Craig, parents of an adult son with autism. The prior year, the Craig Foundation endowed a medical research Chair in Autism at Dalhousie University in Halifax, the first of its kind in Canada. The establishment of the Jack and Joan Craig Research Chair in Autism was a vital first step towards fostering new knowledge, better treatment practices, improved diagnosis and improved outcomes for people with autism spectrum disorders in Nova Scotia and beyond.

The vision that fostered the Provincial Autism Centre is a personal one. It was based on the sense of helplessness and isolation that many individuals and parents, including the Craigs, experience as they try to understand what autism will mean for their child, and for themselves. The Craigs wanted to reach out to parents and families in a practical way to help address their need for information, and equally important, to provide a supportive environment where parents and people with autism may go to find information on autism as well as connect with others facing a similar diagnosis.

Support Means Success

Autism Nova Scotia supports individuals with autism, their families, educators, healthcare professionals and researchers. We provide information materials, research assistance and a friendly atmosphere to support our members in their desire to understand autism. With an improved understanding, they can make informed decisions for a positive impact on their own lives or the person in their care with autism. By providing parents and people with autism with information that can help them seek more effective therapy and support options, a teacher with a strategy that can foster better inclusion in the classroom, or an autistic adult with leads to an employment opportunity, greater successes for individuals with autism and their caregivers can be achieved. That is why, at Autism Nova Scotia, we believe that support means success.